Dorothy McKinnon, Fraser Mustard, Reesa Sorin (2003).
Associate Professor Reesa Sorin came to James Cook University in Cairns in the year 2000. It was during her early years teaching and interacting with various students that she became aware of a recurring concern of students: that they felt a disconnect between what they were learning at university and what was happening in early childhood education services and schools. In an effort to bridge this gap, ‘Megina Kazil’ was born (which means ‘little children’ in Torres Strait pigeon). This was an early childhood pre-service teachers' group, with practicing teachers invited to attend meetings to discuss issues of early childhood teaching.
In 2002, Reesa attended a presentation by Professor Fraser Mustard at a Principals’ Conference in Townsville. Fraser Mustard spoke about the importance of early years learning and experience to brain development in children. He explained that the best way to offer children positive early learning experiences to support brain development was through a communities approach, where parents, educators, health and wellbeing personnel work together to support children and families in the critical first years of life.
This struck a chord with Reesa, and became a further direction for Megina Kazil. Between 2003 to 2011, Reesa visited Fraser Mustard at the Founders Network in Toronto, Canada and met with a variety of his colleagues in Canada. These included: researchers at Healthy Child Manitoba; the Roots of Empathy program; the University of British Columbia’s Human Early Learning Project; and the creator of the Early Development Instrument at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
In 2005, Megina Kazil evolved into the Far North Early Childhood Network (FNECN), It broadened its reach to include a broader representation of the early childhood community in far north Queensland; people who worked for and were committed to the best outcomes for young children and their families. This included caregivers, teachers, representatives of government departments and non-government organisations, community health and social service representatives, and parents of young children. Meetings, open to all community members, were held monthly and forums twice a year. Online, FNECN was the first community site on James Cook University’s LearnJCU platform and has since expanded to its own website (www.fnecn.org) and Facebook page.
From 2017 - 2018, FNECN underwent another change. Early Childhood Community Networks (ECCNs) were established to localise membership and FNECN became a smaller group of key representatives from early childhood stakeholder groups, who met to share information and expertise and to be informed of the activities of the ECCNS.
The catalyst for change and need to remain connected came in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Meetings were held online and were more accessible to the general early childhood community.
In 2002, Reesa attended a presentation by Professor Fraser Mustard at a Principals’ Conference in Townsville. Fraser Mustard spoke about the importance of early years learning and experience to brain development in children. He explained that the best way to offer children positive early learning experiences to support brain development was through a communities approach, where parents, educators, health and wellbeing personnel work together to support children and families in the critical first years of life.
This struck a chord with Reesa, and became a further direction for Megina Kazil. Between 2003 to 2011, Reesa visited Fraser Mustard at the Founders Network in Toronto, Canada and met with a variety of his colleagues in Canada. These included: researchers at Healthy Child Manitoba; the Roots of Empathy program; the University of British Columbia’s Human Early Learning Project; and the creator of the Early Development Instrument at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
In 2005, Megina Kazil evolved into the Far North Early Childhood Network (FNECN), It broadened its reach to include a broader representation of the early childhood community in far north Queensland; people who worked for and were committed to the best outcomes for young children and their families. This included caregivers, teachers, representatives of government departments and non-government organisations, community health and social service representatives, and parents of young children. Meetings, open to all community members, were held monthly and forums twice a year. Online, FNECN was the first community site on James Cook University’s LearnJCU platform and has since expanded to its own website (www.fnecn.org) and Facebook page.
From 2017 - 2018, FNECN underwent another change. Early Childhood Community Networks (ECCNs) were established to localise membership and FNECN became a smaller group of key representatives from early childhood stakeholder groups, who met to share information and expertise and to be informed of the activities of the ECCNS.
The catalyst for change and need to remain connected came in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Meetings were held online and were more accessible to the general early childhood community.